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Crowded council race in one Northlake ward
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Updated: February 11, 2013 6:41AM
NORTHLAKE — All the election action in Northlake is in the third ward.
Incumbents are unopposed for mayor, city clerk, treasurer and three of the city council seats that will be voted on April 9.
In the third ward, however, incumbent alderman Richard Riesterer faces two challengers: Stanley Papke and Joseph Johnson.
Papke, who retired after 39 years as an electrician, has served as alderman twice before. He was appointed by former Mayor Reid Paxton to fill an open seat for two years in the late 1980s.
Papke then ran twice against Fred Paul – who was an alderman at the time, and now is city treasurer. Papke lost to Paul the first time and won the second. Between elections, he served on the police commission and as an electrical inspector.
At the end of his first elected term, his daughter became ill (she later died) and Papke left office.
He is interested in the council’s role in hiring police officers and would like to see the city government keep out of real estate.
“The condominium complex on Wolf Road (Wolf Ridge),” Papke said. “Not half of those units are selling. Why is the city getting into real estate?”
Papke faces Riesterer, a foreman for the public works department in Schaumberg. Riesterer was originally appointed by Mayor Jeff Sherwin to fill a vacancy on the council. Since then he has twice won election.
Like Papke, he also has served as a police commissioner.
During his ten years in office, Riesterer said he’s most proud of bringing in the Kent residences for seniors and for developing the Wolf Ridge condominiums.
“We kind of cleaned up that part of Wolf Road,” Riesterer said. “There were a couple of abandoned houses over there and a house that had a fire over on Wiltse.”
If reelected, Riesterer would like to focus on infrastructure and street improvements and continue to support the police department.
The former and current aldermen will face Johnson, who is taking his first run at public office.
Johnson grew up in Northlake. He works for a finance company that assists homeowners with mortgage difficulties.
Johnson seeks better communication between the city government and the residents. He describes the city website as “kind of dated. The last time I checked it still had Angelo Saviano as state rep and still had the finance director listed who lost his job.”
More locally, he wonders why Major Street is blocked off at Mannheim Road.
Johnson said his background in the finance industry and coursework in business administration would make him an effective alderman.
